Insider Edition 66 | May 16, 2024 | | |
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Hello Windsor!
With the new development in the southeast area of the Town, staff have been working hard to identify increased public transportation and connectivity options for residents.
On June 10, Sonoma County Transit (SCT) will begin picking up riders at a brand-new stop located on the corner of Merner Drive and Old Redwood Highway. This new location will be identified as “Timepoint F” on SCT route 66 service schedules. Route 66 is a Free-Fare ridership program running Monday through Thursday with 13 timed stops traveling within Windsor.
Following Council direction staff is also finalizing a plan for the addition of new bike and pedestrian lanes along Shiloh Road between Hembree and Old Redwood Highway. The new bike lanes will run on both sides of the road, be painted green, and include a two-foot stripped safety buffer with raised bollards in specific locations. Keep an eye out for the installation of these new lanes later this summer.
Summer Nights on the Green is just two weeks away!
The full schedule and information are included below. https://www.townofwindsor.com/342/Summer-Nights-on-the-Green.
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In this edition of the Insider:
New Chief of Police
NetZero Launches
Hourly Water Meter Reads
Music to Our Ears
Water Safety
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Landscape Maintenance Efforts
Windsor Police - Community Events
Riding the Windsor Shuttle
Safety Expo - May 19
Where Does It Go?
Biodegradable Plastic Bags
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NEW CHIEF OF POLICE - GREG PICCININI | |
On Wednesday, May 15, the Mayor formally introduced the Town’s new Chief of Police Greg Piccinini. With over 18 years of distinguished service, Chief Piccinini brings a wealth of law enforcement and leadership experience, a proven history of community-oriented policing, fostering public safety, and a deep dedication to each community he has served. | |
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Gregory Piccinini’s career in public safety started when he joined the Clear Lake Police Department as a police officer in 2005. Since 2007, he has served the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office through various positions including Deputy Sheriff, Domestic Violence / Sexual Assault Detective, Patrol Sergeant, and Lieutenant of Patrol Operations. During that time, he has consistently sought out opportunities to engage with the community through participation in donation drives, parades, open houses, and emergency event planning.
Chief Piccinini holds awards of Excellence as part of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, Meritorious Service to the Citizens of Sonoma County as part of the K-9 Unit, Medal of Valor for life-saving measures issued by the Sonoma County Sheriff, and Medal of Merit for the 2017 Tubbs Fire awarded by Sonoma County Sheriff.
We welcome Chief Piccinini to the Town of Windsor!
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KICKING OFF WINDSOR’S NETZERO WASTEWATER PROGRAM!
The Town of Windsor hosted a NetZero Wastewater Treatment event on Tuesday, May 14. Mayor Reynoza, Councilmember Wall, and Town Manager Jon Davis provided an update about the NetZero Wastewater Program, the first of its kind in the world. Windsor has made great strides toward achieving its NetZero goal, which is to use 100% clean energy during wastewater treatment and reuse 100% of our recycled water and 100% of our biosolids through beneficial uses.
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The Town celebrated the successful completion of one of the three NetZero Wastewater pillars: using 100% clean energy during treatment, a big deal for our small town. Staff also kicked off two new recycled water projects, another step toward 100% reuse of our recycled water. For more updates on Windsor’s NetZero Wastewater Program, sign up for our Newsletter at Notify Me • Town of Windsor • CivicEngage. | |
The WaterSmart customer portal will begin providing hourly reads to customers’ accounts by the end of May. This Portal provides valuable resources to better understand your detailed water use by consumptive category, view your bill, learn ways you can better manage your water use, act on a robust set of relevant recommendations, enroll in leak and predicted high bill alerts, and much more. The Town of Windsor has been upgrading our utility system to Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI), which provides additional functionality for the utility accounts and customers enrolled on the portal. | |
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AMI / Interval information in the Track and Billing Tabs of the Portal can help you track and better understand where water is used and how that water use may impact your bill - in time to act before you incur a high bill:
· Hourly and daily usage, in conjunction with billed consumption.
· Comparisons of daily use to daily temperature and precipitation data.
· A predicted bill, based on bill-to-date interval consumption.
· Notices about potential leaks- date, amount, and when use stops as well as starts.
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In the Portal on the Settings tab, you can set preferences to be notified by email, text, or voice if your daily use is higher than a level you set; or if your cumulative use, to date, for the billing period is putting you on track to get a high bill.
If you haven’t signed up on the portal yet, please visit https://townofwindsor.watersmart.com/index.php/welcome.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Utility Billing staff at ub@townofwindsor.com, by phone, (707)-838-1004, or in person, Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 5 PM.
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SUMMER NIGHTS ON THE GREEN | | |
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Summer Nights on the Green Concert Series returns on Thursday, May 30, with Coco Montoya at 6 PM. The Windsor Certified Farmers Market starts at 5 PM.
There are two FREE shuttles provided by Sonoma County Transit running to and from the Town Green from both Windsor Middle School and Windsor High School from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Shuttles run a continuous loop to and from the Town Green during operation.
For more information about the event and lineup, please visit www.townofwindsor.com/summernights
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INTERNATIONAL WATER SAFETY DAY | |
At the May 15 Windsor Town Council meeting, a proclamation was issued, recognizing May 15, 2024, as International Water Safety Day. This proclamation emphasizes the crucial importance of safeguarding children in the community in and around bodies of water. The Town's Recreation Department plays a pivotal role in this endeavor by offering swim lessons aimed at enhancing water safety for children. Additionally, the County-run program, Vamos A Nadar, has been instrumental in addressing this issue since it was created in 2004. | |
This year, the Vamos A Nadar program took place at the Windsor Senior Recreation Center Pool on Sunday, May 4, with 30 kids participating. Through partnerships with local pools, instructors, and lifeguards, the program educates children and parents on water safety. It offers free workshops and discounted swim lessons to families, ensuring accessibility regardless of financial constraints. This comprehensive approach reflects the community's dedication to prioritizing water safety for all children. | |
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE EFFORTS | |
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SPRING WEED ABATEMENT UPDATE
Thank you for your patience while our maintenance crews diligently work to manage the weeds and grasses around Town. This spring, we experienced both wet and warm sunny days, which spurred incredible growth in our 110 acres of public parks and 26 miles of streetscapes. Contracted crews from Conservation Corps provided incredible support for our team, but there is still plenty of work to be done! With most of the rain behind us, we are optimistic that we can be caught up on our weed abatement efforts in the coming weeks.
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The Town remains committed to its organic weed management practices. The Integrated Pest Management Policy (approved by Town Council in 2018) allows for only organic pesticides to be used in public parks and streetscapes. (The Town does have an exemption for the limited use of synthetic weed killers on approved street medians and landscaping). In close collaboration with the Sonoma County Fire District, the Town actively manages a year-round weed abatement program that has more than doubled in cost and resources since 2018. Learn more about the Town’s Integrated Pest Management Policy and approved exemptions here: https://www.townofwindsor.com/1165/Integrated-Pest-Management-Program.
For more information about the Town’s spring landscape maintenance efforts, feel free to watch Parks and Facilities Superintendent Charlie Johnson’s presentation at the recent Parks and Recreation Commission meeting: https://windsor-ca.granicus.com/player/clip/1644?meta_id=111913.
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RIDING THE WINDSOR SHUTTLE | |
WINDSOR SHUTTLE ROUTE 66 - NEW STOP | |
On June 10, Sonoma County Transit (SCT) will begin picking up riders at the brand-new stop at Merner Drive and Old Redwood Highway. This new location is identified as Timepoint F on SCT service times. | |
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Route 66 is a Free-Fare ridership program running Monday through Thursday with 13 timed stops traveling within Windsor. This Free-Fare program is subsidized by the Town of Windsor and Sonoma County Transit.
For additional information and details on Route 66 schedule visit sctransit.com or call 707-576-7433 or 800-345-7433.
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WINDSOR POLICE DEPARTMENT - COMMUNITY EVENTS | |
Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day! | | |
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On May 8, the Windsor Police Department participated in the Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day!
This annual event highlights the benefits of exercise while also practicing pedestrian and road safety. “Active trips to school enable children to incorporate the regular physical activity needed each day while also forming healthy habits that can last a lifetime”, says the National Center of Safe Routes to School. Windsor PD did it all and joined children from Cali Calmecac Language Academy, Brooks Elementary School, and Windsor Middle School to practice using safe routes and promoting healthy habits. Thank you to the school staff who helped and the Safe Routes to School program for organizing the event.
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Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast and Safety Fair! | | |
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On Sunday, May 12, the Sonoma County Fire District and local first responders hosted a Mother’s Day Pancake Breakfast and Safety Fair and served breakfast to close to 1,000 attendees.
We got to let the amazing Windsor community (and beyond!) see inside our Mobile Command Center, climb inside the SWAT Bearcat, a patrol vehicle, and our ATV, as well as visit with our Windsor Police Department Deputies and Explorers. We love our community and our moms! Thank you #sonomacountyfiredistrict for the yummy pancakes and for hosting this amazing event! Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the moms!
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FIRE AND EARTHQUAKE SAFETY EXPO – MAY 19
Join your community for a fun, free day of emergency preparedness activities and hands-on training
at the fourth annual Fire and Earthquake Safety Expo on Sunday, May 19 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds in Cloverdale.
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Event Activities:
- Learn from first responders & other experts
- Watch emergency demonstrations & live simulations
- Enjoy free giveaways & food, while supplies last
- Browse 75 exhibits + state-of-the-art products
- Experience Henry 1 & Sonoma County 1 helicopters
- Speak with experts in the Firewise Landscape room
- Participate in kid’s activities
- Education in English & Spanish
The Fire and Earthquake Safety Expo is the largest in-person emergency preparedness event in Sonoma County. Bring the entire family and watch the look on your kids’ faces when they sit in a fire engine, visit animals, or participate in exciting races. The 2024 Expo is hosted by Cloverdale Citrus Fair, Northern Sonoma County CERT, Fire Safe Sonoma, Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management, and Nuestra Comunidad.
For more information visit www.fireandearthquakeexpo.org or email info@fireandearthquakeexpo.org
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It can be frustrating trying to determine where to dispose of your takeout and meal delivery containers. In the Garbage, Recycling, or Organics cart? | | |
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Only non-coated paper containers are allowed in your organic cart. Items such as greased pizza boxes, soiled paper, and non-coat paper products.
Coated products such as compostable plastics, coated paper products, bamboo kitchen utensils, or biodegradable plastics go in your garbage cart. These items are not compostable.
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BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BAGS | |
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Plastic bags are not recyclable or compostable. When composting, “biodegradable” green or clear plastic bags contaminate.
The County transfer stations are seeing a high level of contamination in organic waste disposal. This is an accumulation countywide. We hope you can help our community be better by keeping harmful contaminants out of the compost, such as plastics, clothing, and garbage while ensuring the proper material goes into your kitchen pail and organic waste cart or bin. Plastic bags are not recyclable and usually made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), making them lightweight and flexible plastics that clog and damage automated sorting systems, leading to breakdowns, increased recycling costs, and slower processing times.
Please visit Curbside Services: Compost Cart | Zero Waste Sonoma for more information. If you have a questionable item and need assistance, please call Sonoma County Resource Recovery at (707)795-7470 or visit https://www.sonomacorr.com/.
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Come Join Us!
The Town of Windsor is active with events year-round.
The following Town links will provide you with dates and event details to "mark your calendar".
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The Town of Windsor is looking for talented people.
For information on open positions, click here for the full list. If you have questions about working for the Town, please reach out to our Human Resources team at hr@townofwindsor.com.
Join our team! Go here to apply.
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Town of Windsor
9291 Old Redwood Highway
Windsor, CA 95492
(707) 838-1000
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